An engineer is working on a promising prototype for a mechanical tool changer in 3D printing. The system is designed to enable print heads to be changed without the need for expensive additional hardware.
The developer, who operates under the pseudonym ‘Engineers Grow’, has based his design on the printer’s existing motors and a clever mechanism. The centrepiece is a modified extruder that makes it easier to load and unload the filament. After initial difficulties, the developer was able to iteratively improve the design – an advantage of additive manufacturing.
An important element of the system is a spring-loaded filament guide. It supports the material change, but also required several revisions. The print heads are held in place by magnets, which does not always provide the desired stability, but should work in combination with a pin alignment system.
The actual changing process is carried out by moving the mould plate sideways, which releases the magnetic connection. Lever mechanisms control the filament change. After intensive development and troubleshooting, the engineer succeeded in getting the system up and running with two print heads.
The prototype still has a few weak points. The print heads are not sufficiently rigidly fixed and the repeat accuracy when docking could be improved. However, the developer sees potential for further optimisation here.
A particular advantage of the system is the favourable price: apart from the printer itself, the costs amount to around 100 dollars, whereby the exact amount depends on the number of extruders. You can find out more about the work in his YouTube video:
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